Born and raised in the segregated south on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi on the heels of the civil rights movement, Phyllis has used her platform as an intercultural and intellectual activist and as a catalyst for individual and organizational change. Her work in the DEI field and broader community unapologetically centers the injustices to Black women and girls. She resides in North Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is determined to leave a legacy of mental wellness generational transformation for racially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged women and girls globally through her nonprofit, wholeSOUL, Inc.
Phyllis is a world-renowned Miraval Thought Leader bridging theory and practice in the DEI and self-care space. She is an HBCU graduate from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. Braxton has Master's degrees in Clinical Social Work from St Kate’s University, Adult Education from the University of Minnesota and Leadership for Change from Fielding Graduate University. As a lifelong learner, Phyllis is a doctoral student studying Leadership for Change, specializing in Evidence-based Coaching.
Phyllis has 27 years of international touchpoints with tens of thousands of people with experience in trauma-informed diversity, equity and inclusion training and facilitation, leadership coaching, conflict communication, intercultural competence, organizational development, clinical therapy, and keynoting. As the President and founder of Pursuing Intercultural Needs & Knowledge (PINK) Consulting, LLC for nearly two decades, Braxton has conducted psychometric assessments and provided intercultural organizational development services for over 100 organizations including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Victoria's Secret, Snapchat, Best Buy, The Search Institute, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AARP, Kellogg and Ford Foundation.
A certified administer and member of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Training Faculty, Intercultural Conflict Styles (ICS), Cultural Detective, Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), and The Leadership Circle Profile (a 360-degree feedback leadership tool). Phyllis is also the founder of the Girl Scout River Valleys Beta Gamma Sigma Girl Scout Program, started in 1998, and a 30-year Silver Star member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She served as an adjunct professor with two universities, teaching graduate-level courses in diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as a culturally responsive teaching certification. She studied diversity and experienced cultural trends from Iceland to Dubai and the deep south to the West Coast. She helps others leverage their identities and experiences to foster healthy relationships for more inclusive workplace outcomes and homelife satisfaction.
A former psychotherapist, self-described “edutainer,” and “intellectual activist,” she believes in meeting people where they are without blame, shame, or judgment. Phyllis founded The wholeSOUL Experience: the preeminent retreat for women balancing self-care, stress, and career success. She also founded Dance With Confidence, teaching self-efficacy and self-love to women and girls through movement. Phyllis is passionate about the fact that a sense of humility balanced with confidence and a deep reverence for human complexity is vital.
Through laughter and human connection, Phyllis encourages people to examine their life experiences and practice essential life lessons with humor and grace. PINK Consulting, LLC provides the above areas of expertise for individuals, teams, and organizations globally.
Phyllis is excited to launch her DEI book in the fall of 2024, Good Intentions, Bad Results: A Practical Guide To Build Intercultural Confidence and Healthier Relationships at Work, Home, and School. With her latest accomplishment as an Amazon bestselling author of Be Right or Be Effective, Fox 9 TV show guest expert, and Ebony Magazine’s 2023 Summer’s Best self-help book, Phyllis D. Braxton brings shine and leaves light wherever she goes.